EDITORIAL: Dry-humping Windhoek’s motorists

The public outrage over the newly installed speed humps on Windhoek's Western Bypass did not arise because Namibians are opposed to road safety. It arose because once again, a major public intervention appears to have been imposed from above without adequate consultation or adherence to professional advice.

Minister Veikko Nekundi has publicly taken ownership of the initiative, with reports indicating that the Roads Authority began installing the speed humps following his instruction. Yet privately, industry insiders suggest the Roads Authority is deeply uncomfortable with the project and reluctant to defend it publicly. The impression left is that an engineering solution was replaced by a political instruction.

No reasonable person disputes that road deaths along the Western Bypass are a serious concern. And that is because of undesignated pedestrian crossings along that road, prompting tragic fatalities. Government has a duty to act. However, there is reacting and acting wisely.

Road infrastructure is not governed by instinct or political urgency. It is governed by engineering standards, traffic flow and safety assessments. The Western Bypass is not a neighbourhood street. It is a strategic national route forming part of one of Namibia's most important transport corridors. The road was designed to move large volumes of traffic efficiently and safely. It was never intended to function as a pedestrian crossing avenue.

This newspaper has previously raised red flags about Nekundi's bulldozer approach to governance. There is no doubt that many Namibians appreciate a minister who appears decisive and energetic. But decisiveness without due process becomes recklessness.

Being a doer is commendable. Being seen to act is politically attractive. Yet public infrastructure decisions cannot be reduced to demonstrations of political will. They must withstand professional scrutiny and common sense.

Namibia deserves ministers who listen to experts as carefully as they listen to their own instincts.